When it comes to saving money, it’s worth looking at everything that racks up a monthly bill in your life. Among those regular expenses is your cell phone bill. Are you paying for a lot of data and features that you don’t use?

If you’re addicted to browsing, phoning and texting on your phone, then you probably need all those minutes you’re paying for. But if you’re just a casual cell phone user, you might be spending more than you should. Would a stripped-down cell service work for you?

A Popular Provider

In this post, we’ll take a look at one of the most popular of the bare-bones, no-frills cell phone providers. TracFone has been around since 1996. Since its founding, it has established itself as a popular prepaid wireless provider. TracFone currently has more than 20 million subscribers, making it one of the most popular cell phone companies in the world.

TracFone initially had a reputation as being a cell phone for seniors or people who didn’t mind its ugly, no-name and featureless telephones. Now, nobody can tell you’re using TracFone. Its telephones are modern and stylish brands from well-known electronics manufacturers.

TracFone Plans at a Glance

TracFone provides no-contract, low-cost cell phone plans that are quick and easy to set up. You don’t need to run a credit check or pay a deposit with a TracFone plan. It is available to anyone. You can cancel whenever you like and incur no cancellation fee.

The plans come with small amounts of data. The basic plan costs under $10 a month in most markets and comes with 30 minutes’ worth of talk, text and web surfing for 30 days.

The next level of plan costs $17.99 for 60 days and 60 total minutes. The third level is $26.99 for 90 days and 90 minutes.

The highest level TracFone plan is $199.99 for a full year and 1500 minutes.

All your unused minutes roll over to the next billing period.

More Savings, More Money

TracFone offers additional discounts for autopay and multiple lines. TracFone’s rates are variable, meaning that the more minutes you buy, the cheaper your rates are. Depending on the plan you use, you can get reliable cell phone service for as little as $7 a month.

Consider that the rates you’ll see at major carriers like Spring start at $50 to $70 a month. That’s with a limited data plan. It’s easy to see how switching to TracFone could save you considerable amounts of money.

Which Phones Does TracFone Offer?

Up until a few years ago, you could only use a TracFone plan with the company’s own phones. You couldn’t bring your own phone or use an unlocked one. Even people who loved TracFone’s low prices didn’t love the ugly, old-fashioned flip phones they had to use.

That has changed. TracFone offers phones that rank with those of other major carriers and there’s no need to sacrifice style, function or reliability in order to get the low-cost service you want. Now, you can get iPhones as well as Android phones from well-known brands including Alcatel, Kyocera, LG, Nokia, Samsung and ZTE.

Most of the phones on offer are not the latest model of these well-known brands. You might get an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy, but it won’t be the most up-to-date versopm.

If you can live with a slightly older model of these phones, you’ll still get plenty of great features including large, high-definition screens, excellent cameras, Bluetooth capability and top-notch audio quality. Better yet, the prices on these top-named phones are usually priced lower than they are at other retailers.

Now there’s even more reason to check out TracFone’s new phone offerings. Several of these phones include bonus minutes packages in the price. These can be Lifetime Double Minutes or Lifetime Triple Minutes. That means that you’ll get double or triple the number of minutes you’re paying for as long as you keep using that phone.

If you already have a phone that you’re happy with, you can bring it to TracFone.

How Reliable is TracFone?

Because it runs on the bandwidth of larger companies, TracFone’s reception and clarity are equal to those you’d get on any of those carriers.

TracFone doesn’t have standalone stores where you can go to buy phones, pay your bill or get customer service. If you like having a Cricket or T-Mobile store where you can get personalized, hands-on help with your plan, you might find this frustrating.

Where Can You Get TracFone?

While TracFone doesn’t have its own retail stores, it makes up for that by being widely available in a number of other locations. These include stores that are open at all hours of the day and night. If you get an urge to switch phones in the middle of the night, or if you have an emergency need for a working cell phone, you can run to your nearest convenience store and buy a TracFone.

Big-box electronics retailers like Best Buy and Staples sell TracFones. You can also set up your initial service at those retailers. In addition, you’ll find TracFone at:

Convenience stores including 7-11;

Discount stores such as Target and Dollar General;

Drugstores including Rite-Aid and Walgreens;

Supermarkets such as Kroger, Safeway, Food Lion and neighborhood groceries.

Benefits of a TracFone Plan

The stripped-down, no-contract plans are perfect for people who want the convenience of a cell phone without a contract, fees or long-term commitment.

The plans are the lowest-cost ones currently available from any major provider.

TracFone consistently gets good reviews for the reliability and clarity of its calls.

Who is TracFone Best For?

TracFone is a good choice if you only use your phone for emergencies and the basics. If you’re on your phone day and night, you’ll be frustrated by the low-limit data plans.

TracFone is perfect if:

You mostly use your landline for phone calls and use your cell phone as a backup.

You don’t use your cell phone to take and send lots of pictures.

You use your cell phone primarily for emergencies, not as your main form of communication.

You use data for news and weather updates or to check your email.

You don’t use your phone to play games, shop online or use social media.

Who is TracFone Not Suited For?

You might not be happy with TracFone if:

You use your phone for high-data activities like playing online games, heavy browsing, frequent texting and using social media.

You like in-person customer service with your plan.

You want the latest phone models.

You use a lot of different apps on your phone.

How to Get Started with TracFone

All you have to do is buy a prepackaged TracFone set that comes with the telephone, accessories and TracFone calling card.

You can also buy telephones online. With TracFone, everything gets done through the company’s web site. You will need Internet access to activate your phone.

The plans are flexible. You can change the number of minutes you need at any time. As long as you keep renewing your plan, your TracFone service will stay on.

Setting up a TracFone Plan

TracFone made a name for itself as a phone that’s easy enough for anyone to use. That extends to its quick and easy activation and setup. Getting started is simplicity itself.

Select the TracFone of your choice from an authorized retailer or from TracFone’s online store. If you buy a phone in person, the package comes with a TracFone calling card.

Go to TracFone’s activation page.

Select “I have a new phone” or “I have my own phone” and follow the screen prompts.

You will have the opportunity to select your plan. You can always change it later.

The prompts will walk you through a quick and easy phone activation. Now, you’re all set.

You can refill or renew your plan by purchasing TracFone calling cards at a TracFone seller. You can also renew your plan online.

TracFone Help and Advice

Although you can’t get hands-on help with TracFone, the carrier does offer assistance through its blog. There, you’ll find articles on setting up certain features on your phone such as an emergency contact list. The blog also gives detailed instructions on taking and using photographs, staying in contact with young family members and using your TracFone service while traveling.

TracFone also makes it easy to see how many minutes you’ve used and when you need to refill your plan. That information is clearly visible right on your phone screen.

What is TracFone’s Relationship with Net10?

Net10 and TracFone are both owned by the company American Movil. American Movil operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), meaning that it doesn’t own its own bandwidths. It rents them from other carriers.

Like TracFone, Net10 is a no-contract, low-cost service. Both of these plans offer low data limits. If you’re not a heavy user of data, either one will work for you. There are a few differences to keep in mind.

TracFone and Net10 both offer a variety of top-brand cell phones. You can bring your own phone with both services.

To keep your service activated with TracFone, you need to purchase a refill of 60 minutes every 90 days.

To keep your Net10 service on, you have to purchase a refill card or renew your service with 300 minutes every 60 days.

Tracfone Deals and Promo Codes

You can make great deals even greater by taking advantage of sweet deals and discounts from Tracfone. And to help you with that, here are a few fool-proof ways on how you can get the best deals available:

1. Subscribe to Tracfone’s email list and social media accounts

Isn’t it frustrating to know that you’ve missed out on a terrific deal by just this much? Most discounts are time-limited, but you can be in-the-know by following their accounts.

2. Always compare discounts on different sites

Most sellers online (including Tracfone) use affiliate sellers to expand their market. Use this to find out if their offering obscenely high discounts on certain affiliate sites. Who knows? You may just be able to save yourself a month’s worth on your service plan.

3. Choose safety over potentially higher discounts

We always want to get more for less, but you should never jeopardize the security of your personal details for it. That’s why it is important that you go only to reliable and trusted sites in your search for discounts.

Here are safe sites where you can avail of great discounts:

Tracfone – They’re currently as much as 300 bonus minutes to their customers directly on their site! But hurry because their offers are only valid until March 8.

Coupon Chief – From free minutes to huge discounts on mobile devices, they have a variety of promising discounts waiting for you.

Slick Deals – Find price drops on iPhone and Samsung handsets, along with other discounts here.

Is TracFone Right for You?

If you want to slash your cell phone bill and think you can stay under the low data limits, consider making the switch to TracFone. If you decide it isn’t right for you, you can cancel with no worries.

With TracFone, you can get a great-looking phone and reliable service for a low price. It’s definitely worth considering if you’re not a heavy cell phone user. Check out the available plans at TracFone’s site and its authorized retailers.

FAQ

TracFone is often regarded as one of the largest cell phone companies in the country. It’s also among a handful of prepaid carriers that contract with all four major wireless companies. The Miami-based mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) also operates in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and offers its services under multiple brand names.

The company owes its popularity to its efficiency as compared to other prepaid options such as Cricket Wireless, Republic Wireless, and the Virgin Mobile.

TracFone Minutes and Cellular Plans

To the delight of customers, TracFone offers Pay-As-You-Go plans which consist of smartphone-only plans and basic plans for smaller devices. Their plans are great for light phone users—not so much for heavy users. With the questions and answers below, let’s see if TracFone is right for you.

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Does TracFone have unlimited plans?

This network operator has unlimited plans and has launched a prepaid no-contract wireless brand that offers unlimited calls and texts and 30MB of data for $45 per month. You can alternatively get 1,000 minutes and 1,000 texts/multimedia messages for $30 per month.

Does TracFone have monthly plans?

Yes, TracFone has monthly pay-as-you-go plans, basic plans, and smartphone plans available at different rates. They come with carry-over benefits and no activation fees, contracts, or cancellation fees.

How do TracFone plans work?

TracFone plans work like most network provider plans out there. There are a wide variety of cellular plans for users to buy. Each plan comes with specified amounts of data, texts, and talking minutes, and expire after the specified service days.

What is the best TracFone plan?

TracFone plans are often efficient but picking the best plan depends on your budget. Each pay-as-you-go and smartphone plan has a different price and you can switch plans to determine which one works best for you.

How to cancel TracFone monthly plan?

If you’re using an automatic monthly plan, call 800-867-7183 to cancel the automatic payment. To cancel the auto-refill plan, visit your TracFone account page and navigate to Manage Auto Refill and click on the cancel button. That’ll take you to the next page.

Does TracFone offer unlimited monthly plans?

Yes, TracFone offers unlimited monthly plans with a $15 to $45 range of service costs. TracFone’s Straight Talk Service delivers 30MB of data plus unlimited minutes and texts for $45 per month.

How much is a TracFone unlimited plan?

TracFone’s unlimited plan is up for $45 per month. Alternatively, for $30, you can get free talking minutes and texts on top of 1,000 of each.

What is a TracFone service plan?

TracFone smartphone-only service plan provides 200 talking minutes, 500 texts, and 500MB of data. This plan is used only for smartphones and expires 30 days after activation. For the 60-day service plan, you get 500MB of data, 1,000 texts, and 500 minutes.

How to cancel a TracFone value plan?

Your value plan can either be canceled on the TracFone Wireless website or by calling the TracFone customer care center. If your TracFone happens to be stolen or lost, notify the customer care center immediately to cancel your value plan. The charge for your value plan will continue to be posted until your value is canceled or transferred to another TracFone.

Where to find TracFone service plan PIN?

Your PIN is located on the back of your service plan card. To find the PIN on your service card, simply locate and scratch off the grey strip on the back of your card. Scratch off the grey strip to reveal your 15-digit service card PIN.

Does TracFone have an unlimited texting plan?

You can get 30 MB of data plus unlimited calling and texting for $45 a month. All other plans give you 1,500 texts at most.

What is TracFone 400-minutes one-year plan?

TracFone 400-minutes one-year plan is a prepaid plan that costs $99.99 and provides 400 talking, texting, and browsing minutes. The service plan can be used to refill your current plan or activate a new TracFone service.

When did TracFone remove 1200-minutes 1-year plan?

The TracFone 1200-minutes 1-year plan was removed in 2017 along with the Triple Minutes for Life (TMFL) plan. This was to introduce the smartphone-only service plans ranging from 200 to 1,500 talking minutes per month.

Does TracFone have a year-long plan?

Even though most year-long plans have been discontinued, TracFone still has many year-long plans. The year-long smartphone plan costs $125 with 1,500 minutes, 1,500 texts, and 1GB data. The year-long basic phone plan costs $199.99 with 1,500 minutes for talk, text, and web.

Does TracFone one-year plan triple?

Sadly, this good deal has been removed. TracFone ended Triple Minutes for Life (TMFL) and revealed its smartphone-only plans in early-2017.

Does TracFone have family plans?

Yes, TracFone has family value plans which have triple minutes and work for the BYOP program. One of these plans is $9.99 for 50 talking minutes in a month. These plans are meant to provide enough talking, texting, and browsing for the whole family.

How does the TracFone family value plan work?

TracFone family value plan is geared towards a whole family. It works for a group of users with several phones to register. But for every phone you add to the family value plan, you have to pay $5.99. This will provide the phone with 30 days of service and 40 talking minutes.

Does TracFone still offer a family value plan?

Yes, TracFone still offers family value plans that provide a certain number of talking minutes, texts, and data for the whole family. With these value plans, you can choose 50, 125 or 200 minutes at $10, $20, or $30 respectively.

Can I use TracFone with a Straight Talk plan?

Of course, you can. Straight Talk offers a variety of prepaid no-contract plans and allows customers to use the TracFone service by buying activation kits from the company. Here’s how it works.

What is TracFone value plan enrollment?

Before enrolling in any TracFone value plan, first read TracFone’s terms and conditions and that of the particular plan. By enrolling, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

Can you add a year plan to TracFone?

This is possible. You can add a year of service to your TracFone account for $49.99 but this only happens when you add a refill card.

What cellular plan is more economical than TracFone?

Boost Mobile and MetroPCS are more economical than TracFone. For instance, MetroPCS’ unlimited data plan costs $50 while TracFone’s counterpart costs $5 more. Each comes with its own benefits and drawbacks, so the choice is yours.

How to see family plan info in TracFone account?

How to change TracFone to a family plan?

To achieve this, you first create an online account then add the other phones you want to put on the family plan. Or, you can contact the customer care.

What are pay-as-you-go plans on TracFone?

Pay-as-you-go plans on TracFone are airtime service plans that allow cellphone owners to pay in advance for talk time and texts and add more airtime as needed during the day, week or month. They also determine the amount of data you can use.

What is a TracFone airtime service plan?

A TracFone airtime service plan, as drawn out by the service provider, allows customers to select different packages on how to use their airtime. They determine the number of minutes, texts, and data you can use in a given period (i.e. a month, 90 days, and 365 days).

Can I make my TracFone 30-day plan auto-renew?

Yes, you can auto-renew your 30-day plan by selecting the Auto-Refill option from the Refill dropdown menu on TracFone.com.

Can you transfer TracFone minutes from one phone to another?

TracFone customers can switch phones at any time and get the minutes on their existing device transferred to the new device. You can do this by completing the transfer online or calling the customer service department at 800-867-7183. The agents work from 8 AM to 11:45 PM (EST) every day.

TracFone Data Plans

TracFone and its many brands have rolled out different plans just to suit valued users. Whether you are looking for an unlimited or year-long data plan, TracFone covers everything and gives you enough varieties to use the Internet on your mobile device.

There are 7 smartphone plans and a service add-on of 1GB data for $10. For the monthly plan at $15 (or $14.25 with Auto-Refill), you get 200 minutes talk and 500 texts in addition to 500MB of data. And other TracFone data plans provide data allocations of up to 2GB.

Moving on, all these plans can be rolled over if they’re not exhausted and there is a 5% discount upon auto-renewal, which is called Auto-Refill. Let’s take a deeper dive into the pool of TracFone and explore various data plans.

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What is a TracFone smartphone-only plan?

The TracFone smartphone-only plans are airtime service plans exclusive to only connected smartphone devices. In other words, these plans are not meant to be used on basic phones. Currently, there are 7 smartphone-only plans which give you anything between 200 and 1,500 talking minutes, 500 to 1,500 texts, and 500MB to 1GB data.

Does TracFone have data plans?

Sure, TracFone offers a variety of data plans to surf the Internet. TracFone’s Straight Talk Wireless delivers 30MB of data plus unlimited texts and minutes for $45 per month. The unlimited data plan is priced at $55 per month.

Does TracFone smartphone plan roll over?

TracFone smartphone plans can be rolled over. TracFone allows customers to roll over all their unused minutes, texts, and data to the next month.

Does TracFone have tablet plans?

Even though a tablet might work with an activated TracFone Wireless plan, TracFone doesn’t officially support tablets or offer any tablet plans. Tablets are quite similar to smartphones, so the smartphone-only plans might be your best bet.

Does TracFone smartphone plan notify you before renewal?

TracFone won’t notify you before renewal if you’ve set up Auto-Refill. The smartphone plan will be renewed automatically. But if you do not wish for this plan to auto-renew, you can cancel the renewal by calling Customer Service.

Can I get a TracFone plan without data?

Absolutely not. Each and every plan by TracFone provides the three: texts, talking minutes, and data. So, whether you opt for the smartphone or basic phone plans, you will always get the three.

Can I activate my TracFone with a data plan?

To activate your TracFone, you’re required to buy a service plan. You can buy a plan on the official website TracFone.com or call 800-867-7183 to activate. You can also confirm whether you have a SIM card or need one.

TracFone Cell Phones

While TracFone offers some of the best plans for smartphones and basic options to text, talk, and browse, TracFone also offers smartphones and basic phones at affordable prices. These phones are available for sale on the company’s website and from retailers nationwide—both offline and online.

TracFone cell phones support GSM/CDMA SIM cards upon purchase so you can choose to use a wireless or mobile plan. However, the phones are often locked (especially if you buy directly from TracFone), which brings us to this compilation of frequently asked questions on TracFone phones. From phone unlocking to activation, we’ve compiled a number of answers to help you use your TracFone phone to its full potential.

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Can you use TracFone smartphone with the basic plan?

You can use a TracFone smartphone with any of the basic phone plans. Even though there are specific plans for smartphones, you can still use the basic plan on a smartphone. However, the smartphone might be unable to use the data properly.

How to activate a TracFone cell phone?

Whether the phone says roaming or not, you can activate a TracFone cell phone either by calling Customer Service (800-867-7183) or via the website. With the website, simply click this Activate Phone link and complete the process.

Are TracFone phones unlocked?

Regarding phone unlocking, TracFone entered an agreement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2016. This means you cannot unlock any TracFone cell phone without any issues.

How do I download an app to my TracFone phone?

While this depends on your TracFone phone, most TracFone phones are Android devices that come with Google Play Store pre-installed. Simply open the store, input the name in the search bar, select the exact app, and hit the download button.

Do TracFone phones have SIM cards?

Yes, TracFone phones support the use of one or more SIM cards. Most TracFone devices are 4G/LTE-enabled and support GSM/CDMA SIM cards.

Who sells TracFone phones?

Malls, hypermarkets, department stores, and online marketplaces all sell TracFone phones. Options range from Walmart and Amazon to eBay and BestBuy. You can also shop for phones on TracFone.com.

TracFone Activation and Compatibility

TracFone has been providing excellent mobile services for the US since 1996. Amid heavyweight competitors, the provider has proven to be one of the most popular MVNOs nationwide thanks to its efficient plans. If you own a TracFone and intend to activate a new data plan, there are different pay-as-you-go plans available for both smartphones and basic phones.

But before you activate a new plan, you have to be sure your phone is compatible with the TracFone platform. To discuss that and go through the process of activating and changing your TracFone, let’s look at the questions below and answer each with up-to-date details.

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How to change TracFone plan to a new phone?

To easily use TracFone plan to a new phone, use the Activate link found on TracFone.com. You can either bring your own phone or activate a new TracFone phone. There are 3 more steps after that, which are all easy to follow.

Are GoSmart plans compatible with TracFone?

As stated on the GoSmart website, Straight Talk, TracFone, Telcel, Total Wireless, SafeLink, and NET10 phones are not supported by GoSmart. In fact, CDMA phones are also unsupported. You can either use a T-Mobile phone or any unlocked GSM phone that operates at a frequency of 1900MHz.

How to activate a phone on the TracFone family plan?

Contact Customer Service to activate a phone on the TracFone family plan. Alternatively, you can activate a phone with the Activate service at TracFone.com.

How to activate TracFone on AT&T postpaid plan?

First, you have to unlock your TracFone phone before activating it on AT&T postpaid plan. Once unlocked, insert and activate a SIM card and then select the option for Wireless or AT&T Postpaid.

How do I change my TracFone phone number?

To change your TracFone phone number, write down your phone’s serial number, current phone number, and SIM card number, and then call the TracFone customer support line on 800-867-7183. Choose your preferred language and get to the Technical Support Department to speak to a representative. Provide the relevant information and keep your TracFone on to follow up with the changes. You’ll also know how long the process will take.

Can I use TracFone SIM card in an unlocked phone?

Before you put a TracFone SIM card in any phone, you need to find out if it is compatible. You can achieve this by checking the website. But for more effective response, it is advisable to call Customer Service or contact a live chat agent.

Will Blu phones work on TracFone?

A Blu phone will only work on TracFone if you are using an AT&T SIM card. Any other option makes Blu and TracFone incompatible.

How to remove a phone from TracFone account?

Will I lose my TracFone number if my plan expires?

You will lose your TracFone number only if your plan expires. So, to avoid losing your TracFone number, add airtime to your account before the plan expires. Without doing so, you will lose your number even if you have minutes, texts, or data remaining.

Jordan Beaumont

Financial Guru

Jordan's work focuses on helping people reach their financial goals so they can spend more time with family and friends and less time worrying about their budget. After finishing college with a degree in Accounting and Communication, he realized that these are the most important things in life and that people shouldn’t miss out because of money.